


Special Agents of the Multiverse: The Queen's Threat

by MerthurIsMyOTP



Category: Alice in Wonderland (Movies - Burton), Chronicles of Narnia - All Media Types, Hatari (Band), La casa de papel | Money Heist (TV), The 100 (TV)
Genre: Accidental Plot, Action/Adventure, Adventure, Alternate Universe, Arturo is a secret agent, But also it's not, Clarke is the head of the United Multiverse Division, Gen, Klemens is a secret agent, Multiverse, Portals, Spies & Secret Agents, Strangers to Friends, This will take place in Narnia mostly, Undercover, Undercover Missions, Weapons, crackfic, multifandom - Freeform, this is a crackfic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-08
Updated: 2019-11-13
Packaged: 2020-11-27 14:09:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20949605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MerthurIsMyOTP/pseuds/MerthurIsMyOTP
Summary: It's 2019, ten years since 'The Collision' of every work of fiction ever created by humanity. Klemens and Arturo are both agents in the Special Elite Force of the United Multiverse Division. After years of peace within the multiverse, Klemens and Arturo have to stop one of the biggest threats to their very existence. Will they be able to stop the Queen of Hearts from destroying them all?





	1. Highly Classified

**Author's Note:**

  * For [My Boyfriend](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=My+Boyfriend).

> My boyfriend challenged me into writing the following prompt: "Have Arturo and Klemens pair up to kill the Queen of Hearts. Oh, and have Bruno (from Sacha Baron Cohen) show up at one point in the story"
> 
> I accepted this challenge and put way more work in this than I probably should have. I asked @lineofmistakes on Instagram if it was possible to design a cover for this story. I am super excited about how it turned out and urge you to check out all the other amazing work that has been created by this amazing self-taught artist! 
> 
> Enjoy the story (and don't take it too seriously, please) <3

Klemens stepped out of the vehicle, looking at the UMD headquarters in front of him. He hasn’t done a job for the _United Multiverse Division_ in quite a while now. The first few years after _The Collision_ had been chaotic, but by now the different universes had accepted what happened. The small breakouts that happened every once in a while were for the lower forces to calm down. Klemens worked in the highest and most secret department of them all, the _Specialist Elite Force_. Frankly, Klemens couldn’t recall how long ago he’d finished his last assignment and started to enjoy what he loved doing – singing.

He’d been surprised when Clarke – Ms. Griffin, he reminded himself – had called him this previous night, demanding him to come over. “I’m sorry to call you on such short notice, Mr. Hannigan.” Klemens had actually rolled his eyes here. No matter how many times he’d tell her that in Iceland you don’t call people by their last name, she simply refused to call him Klemens. She thought it was disrespectful. Coming from Iceland, those cultural differences were nice to see though.

“We will send someone to transport you to the headquarters. We’ll disclose your mission when you arrive.”

Klemens knew better than to ask questions, so he’d accepted. Ronja had been surprised they’d called him as well. But she’d simply given him a kiss, helped him pack his bag and threatened him to come back alive and well. Right now, the collar he wore around his neck reminded him of her. He smiled. No matter where he was or who he worked for, Ronja would always own his heart. He’d given it to her the moment she’d asked him to be his boyfriend, and he’d never regret that decision ever in his life.

He swung the backpack over his shoulders and made his way to Ms. Griffin’s office. Her door was unlocked and he saw her stare at the screen of her laptop ferociously. He grinned. She looked older, but her facial expressions hadn’t changed one bit. When she was focusing on something, she could actually stay focused on that one particular thing until it had been finished. Klemens had always been quite impressed by her ability to do so. But that's why he was a field agent. Multitasking and thinking out of the box were his qualities.

“One moment, Mr. Hannigan.”

“Klemens," he replied.

Ms. Griffin sighed at him, not responding to his remark. So he just sat down on the chair in front of her desk, putting his bag underneath his feet. He’d take care of his stuff later. He knew that Clarke never needed much time when she asked him for a moment. She’d make sure to finish whatever important thing it was she was doing, and then she’d get to the point. She was efficient like that. That’s one of the reasons why he liked her. He didn’t like people telling him how to do his job, but he had deep-rooted respect for Clarke. She knew what she was doing. She was honest, clear and practical. She cared for her agents, but she never overdid it. He knew she’d been through way too much to get like this. Caring but unattached. But that’s what made her such a good leader. She’d developed all the necessary qualities to manage a force like theirs. She was experienced. She would do what’s needed to achieve the goals. She hated making sacrifices, but she’d learned the hard way that sacrifices were inevitable. She’d never make one if it wasn’t absolutely necessary, but if it _was, _she had the guts to do so. Klemens second-guessed many people, and he stayed critical – even with Clarke. But he trusted her decisions and her judgement. Which is the one reason he answered her request to come to the headquarters. If it'd been anyone else he'd have told them he was too busy with his band and newborn daughter. But it was Clarke, so he'd known he was actually needed for this job despite his personal life.

“Alright,” Clarke started and Klemens smiled because he’d been right about her not needing a long time to finish her task. “-I’m sorry to have brought you here so sudden. The mission I’m about to send you on is highly, highly classified. It’s a threat from the Wonderland Universe. Iracebeth, also known as the Queen of Hearts or the Red Queen... She’s escaped from her banishment. News has come to us that her plan is to destroy every universe but her own. She’s headed for Narnia first.”

Klemens eyes widened at that. He suddenly understood why Clarke had called him in on such short notice. It had started a little over ten years ago. No one knows how or why it happened, but every world of fiction that was ever created by the human species, had become a real and separate universe. But not just that. There were portals _everywhere_ for living beings to travel from one universe to another. It was as if the universes had closed in on one another. They’d called it _The __Collision._ So far, they’d only discovered fictional universes that had been created by the universe Klemens was born in, but Narnia was the _one_ universe that contained most of the important portals. If you wanted to travel somewhere, 90% of the time you’d pass through Narnia. If this Queen was going to take down Narnia… It’d be a disaster.

“If we don’t stop her from doing that…” Clarke started, her voice trailing off as if she didn't want to say it out loud.

“…she’ll win. If she takes down Narnia, we can not stop her from taking down the other universes.” Klemens finished for her. Clarke nodded grimly, and Klemens tried to process what he'd just heard. He couldn’t imagine how this would affect life as they knew it. Fuck, there wouldn't be life as they knew it anymore. They'd be wiped out of existence. It would be genocide on a scale that has never been seen before. Multiple genocides, actually.

“How do I stop her?”

“You won’t be in this by yourself. I’ve paired you up with Arturo Román, he’s from the La Casa De Papel universe.”

Klemens narrows his eyes at the mention of that name. He’s heard of that man before. It’s a heroic man, in a sense. He sets of sparks that motivate people to undertake the necessary action. But he’s also a coward, as he barely ever puts himself in the front.

“Why him? Since when is he a SEF agent?” Klemens asks suspiciously. Arturo was probably a decent man, but if this was such a classified mission, why would Clarke pair them up together?

“Because he has worked on many UMD missions in Narnia. We are aware of the thing you’re concerned about, but he’s the only agent we have with such broad knowledge of this universe that isn’t his own. You will be in charge, he will navigate and help.”

Klemens found himself within that reasoning. For a mission as important as this one, you couldn't risk losing track of your location. He still didn’t feel too confident about it, but he had to trust Clarke on this one as well. If there wasn’t a better agent, Arturo it would be.

“So… Do you have a plan for us?”

Clarke nodded. “We don’t know where exactly the Queen will start, but we do know exactly where her most trusted servant is. We have kept watch on him ever since the news came to us. You and Arturo need to find him and figure out the Queen's plan. I know it’s a far shot, but it’s the only lead we have for now.” Klemens nodded, and spend the next hour reading into the history of the Queen, her usual methods, her servant and where to find him.

\-----

“One hour before transport, Mr. Hannigan.” Klemens looked up at Clarke - and wished he hadn’t. Because there was a sad smile on her face. A smile that showed him that she knew how small the chance was that they would ever be able to fix this. A smile that said ‘_you’re our last hope_’. He nodded at her, and as she left he sat back in his chair and sent a text message to Ronja.

_Mín ástin, the situation I’ve been called in for is a very serious one. You know I can’t give you any details, but I just wanted to say that I love you. You have been the light of my life, you have stood by me when I needed it the most, you have been an amazing person, girlfriend, wife and mother for as long as I’ve known you. Please tell our little ones how much I love them as well. This mission isn’t dangerous just for me, but for the multiverse entirely. I can’t wait to hold you in my arms again, but if last night was the last time, know I’ve cherished you with all my heart and am grateful for having been yours._

Klemens pressed send, turned his screen off and wiped away his tears before they would spill onto the files. He took a little moment, thinking back to all the amazing times he’s had with his family and smiled to himself. It hurt, knowing it was all at stake. But he’s been a lucky and happy man, blessed with the good life he's had until now. It was a scary thing knowing he might lose it all, but at the same time, it fuelled him to work the extra mile. He would give his absolute best to make this work. He simply had to.

He took a deep breath, pushing the thoughts out of his head and put the files into a briefcase. Time to meet Arturo Román in person. Time to save the Multiverse.


	2. The Wardrobe

Klemens was surprised by how familiar it felt to be back in uniform. The red overall was practical and – even though it really did not seem like it – a good way to go unnoticed. Well. Not unnoticed, but at least not drawing any unwanted attention. In the other universes, a red overall would be seen as very simple wear. Bright, yes. But nothing special. When Klemens had just joined the UMD, it’d seemed very unnatural to him to wear something so _obvious_. But Clarke had rightfully explained to him that the universe he came from was actually pretty boring. Other universes were different. More outgoing. Even the BDSM-like straps around his thighs and chest were – according to Clarke – the best way not to stand out. People would see they were from another universe. But they’d never be able to pinpoint from where exactly.

Given Arturo’s background, it was ironic that he had to wear a red overall now. Arturo himself had never worked for the SEF before. In the lower forces, they’d wear even less obvious suits. Like grey or dark blue. Arturo had tried to get into the suit he’d usually wear for the _1st Level Forces_, but Clarke hadn’t accepted his request. “You work for the SEF now, Mr. Román. This is the SEF uniform. I know what it reminds you of, but if you’re a good agent you can refocus and ignore those thoughts.”

Arturo was a smart man, so he’d kept his mouth shut after that. He didn’t want to piss off his superior any further. Klemens grinned at him. “Well, with those straps and studs you look at least more classy than your favourite robbers.” It’d only earned him a glare.

“Mr. Román, Mr. Hannigan… We wish you the best of luck. You can use your earpiece to stay in touch with us at all times, it’s interdimensional technology. Don’t lose it. If you do, there’s a backup system in the briefcase of Mr. Román, but it’s more obvious and doesn’t work as efficient. Remember what you’re in for.” She paused for a moment, her eyes finding Klemens’. “We have the trust that you’re the best agent for this job. Keep that in mind when things get rough. You were chosen for a reason.”

She gave them both a faint smile as she pressed the button. A light tingle spread across Klemens’ body, signifying the presence of a portal. “Some journeys take us far from home. Some adventures lead us to our destiny,” Klemens whispered quietly to himself, thinking about the books he’d read as a child. He hoped that, just like the entire work of fiction, this sentence would turn out to be real. He glanced at Arturo and then stepped into the pool of whirling blue light. No portal was the same. Some of them where chaotic and noisy. This one wasn’t. It felt as if he’d walked into a nice whirlpool. Warm and comfortable. The sound like a soft, cackling stream of water.

Within a few seconds, the sensations disappeared again. He felt a chilly breeze on his cheek. He was standing at the edge of a large field of green grass. He’s been here before, years ago. But like always in Narnia, everything had changed. The trees were bigger. Much, much bigger. The little pond that used to be here had dried out, and was now a little bump in the landscape.

“So. Narnia is full of surprises. Isn’t it?” Klemens looked over his shoulder to see Arturo studying his surroundings as well. “I was here two months ago. Two months. I wonder how much time has passed here. My first guess would be around three to four years?” Klemens shrugged. “I haven’t been here in ten years, Arturo. I know nothing about the timeline differences between my world and Narnia. All I know is that it looks different.”

“Very well, Icelandic boy. I guess you’ll have to follow my lead then.”

Klemens raised his eyebrows. “You’re the Narnia expert. Not the one in charge.”

“Same difference. I know where we’re headed. Do you?”

Klemens sighed. This is what he’d been afraid of when he heard he had to work with this man. The guy had a huge and unhealthy obsession with being useful. So for now, it was probably best to give in to that while they still could. When things would get rough, Klemens could take over.

“Alright, lead the way then.”

That was clearly not the answer the Spanish man had expected, but it did put a smile on his face as he turned around facing the forest. “We’re near the Rock Bridge. The servant boy we’re looking for has a cabin in the Western Woods. It should be around a two-hour walk.” With that, Arturo held his briefcase a little tighter and made his way into the forest. Klemens knew he made the right decision with this man, and followed him into the shadow of the trees.

It was strange to be back here, knowing that in this world the time passes so much quicker. The handful of people he met the last time he was here, they were probably gone by now. Or just very old. It was difficult to say. The timeline didn’t just go faster but was also non-linear to the timeline from his own universe. It was impossible to know how many time had passed unless they would meet someone from Narnia. Even then, it would be a rough guess.

“Arturo-“

“Shhh, stay quiet.” The other man glared at him, clearly upset that Klemens had tried to speak. The blond man raised his eyebrow. Arturo rolled his eyes. “It’s not safe here. I’ll explain later. Just keep quiet for now.”

Klemens tried to ignore the chill that spread across his back. Suddenly the forest didn’t seem as beautiful and calm. The shadows were looming over them, and every step they made suddenly sound like little earthquakes. He wondered what was hiding in between the thick branches. Wondered what was here that he’s never heard of. He hoped that not talking would be enough to not attract the thing Arturo was trying to warn him about. He hated the fantasy universes. It was so different. It was easy to go into the realistic ones. Those were similar to his own. They felt safer, even if they weren’t. The fantasy ones were unpredictable. You never knew whatever impossible thing would be normal, or the other way around.

\----

Arturo suddenly froze. His hand shot up, signifying Klemens to stop whatever he was doing as well. The last hour Klemens had tried to not think about everything that could possibly be lurking around in this forest, but he hadn’t exactly managed to do so. So this sudden change made his fingers tingle with fear as his heartbeat picked up its pace. Arturo was slowly scanning their surroundings. Squinting his eyes as he tried to focus on one particular point in the distance.

“Klemens? I think we’re already here,” he whispered as quietly as he could. Klemens tried to see the same thing as the other man, but he couldn’t spot a difference in the scenery. “Where?”

Arturo waved with his hand, encouraging Klemens to follow him again. Which he did. He still had no idea what he was looking for. Every single tree seemed the same. Every leaf, every branch, every rock- Wait. That rock, it wasn’t the same at all. It had a weird glow to it. They walked closer. Slowly, step by step. Then, out of nowhere, Arturo smacked his hand onto the top of the rock hard. Then, everything went too fast. Arturo pulled the both of them back, Klemens saw a bright flashing light and then, as he blinked his eyes, a cabin appeared.

“_Geh scheissn!_” There was a loud thud and more cursing before the door swung open. Klemens stared at the man in front of them. He was tall. Much, much taller than Arturo or Klemens. His blond hair nearly fell over his eyes. He was wearing some kind of weird costume. Or, maybe this was what the Queen’s servants had to wear. Klemens didn’t know. And it didn’t quite matter. “Who the fuck are you?” the man demanded, the high-pitched voice ringing in his ears.

Arturo and Klemens shared a look. Yes. This was their guy.

“You are Mr. Bruno, right?” Arturo tried politely. He stood up a little more straight and offered his hand. The man in front of them cackled – the sort of laugh that was obviously fake – and stared right back at them. “I am. But you already know that. Otherwise you two… Whatever you are. You wouldn’t have been able to find me.”

“I am Klemens, this is my partner Arturo. Can we come in? We have urgent business to discuss with you.”

Bruno stared at Klemens this time, taking in every single inch of his body. “Well, I can’t say no to a cute twink like you, now can I?” With that, the man stepped aside to invite the both of them into his cabin. Klemens blushed at the nickname. It’s not the first time he’d been called that, even though he’s married to a woman, it’s apparently a vibe he has. Well, maybe this is the first time it works in his favour. He nodded at Arturo, and they followed the man inside. Both of them hoping it wouldn’t be a trap.


	3. (Dis)trust

Klemens had a bad feeling as he made his way into the cabin, but he tried not to be too suspicious. Yet. He was trained for this. He wasn’t alone. This Bruno guy was taller than them, but he wasn’t one of the Queen’s heavily trained soldiers. The inside of the cabin was oddly clean and organized for an extravagant person like this man was. Klemens was glad, that meant it was easier to keep track of the man’s movements and ideas.

“So, tell me. What are two UMD agents doing in a servant’s cabin?”

Klemens stared at the man. He knew what they were. That… Changed the plan a bit. “Oh, don’t be so surprised-“ the man said with a sly grin. “-I know what you’re here for. It was only a matter of time before someone would come for me. And you two are clearly not from Narnia nor Wonderland.”

“You’re right-“ he said and ignored the way Arturo tried to make him shut up. “-we’re UMD. But I would like to know what you think our reason for visiting you is?”

“Duh-“ Bruno chuckled his weird fake cackling-laugh again “-I work for the Queen. She’s been up to something for quite a while now. And the two of you want to know what she’s up to.” Bruno shrugged and sat down on his couch. “Too bad she hasn’t told me.”

This time, it was Arturo who stepped in. He wasn’t exactly allowed to do so, but Klemens figured he might have a better idea than him. He just couldn’t tell when the man in front of them was telling the truth or not. Not because he seemed like a bad person, but he had this very clear, gigantic mask that covered up his real self. No matter what he’d say, it all had the same facial expression. “Well, Bruno. We sure do know what she’s up to. All we need is her current location and we’ll be out.”

“And what exactly will you do to her when you find her? Do you really think I will deliver you my Queen’s head just like that? Oh no. She might be a strange… woman. But I like her. I like working for her. She’s been good to me when everyone else thought I was this weird freak.”

“You don’t understand Bruno, she-“

“Yes, yes-“ Bruno sighed and waved his words away. “She’s escaped from her banishment and blah blah blah. Still doesn’t seem like the work of two UMD agents to come fix, is it?”

“Zip it, funny guy“ Arturo growled. “-You’re right. I’ve never been to Wonderland so I couldn’t judge the situation there. But I think the destruction of the Multiverse is enough threat for us to come here, finding you in the forest to ask you where that _puta_ woman is.”

This time, Bruno stays quiet for a moment. He looks at the both of them. Trying to figure out if they’re tricking him into something. So Klemens just stares back. Bruno slowly nods. “Ah.” He looks down at the floor. “That does explain why you’re here. I… She’s been talking about it sometimes. But I never realized she would go through with it.” This is Bruno without the mask, he realizes. The talking, the chaotic behavior… That’s not real. This man he sees now is his actual self. Soft. Caring.

Defeated.

“You must believe me when I tell you I don’t know her location at this very moment. I do know where she’ll be tomorrow morning. I will be with her, actually.” Bruno takes a shaky breath. Klemens can’t help the pang of sadness that erupts in his chest. He understands. This man owes his life to his Queen. They might even be some sort of friends – for as far as you can be friends with the Queen of Hearts.

“Iracebeth… She has a strong will and quite a temper.” Bruno says quietly. “She’s always been laughed at. No one ever took her opinions seriously. It’s been hard for her. Especially when she had to face her banishment as well. She’s not been the woman she was before in a long while.”

Arturo lowers his briefcase and takes out his map of Narnia, showing it to Bruno. “I know how hard this must be for you, but can you please give us her location for tomorrow morning? I know you care for her deeply, but if she kills the Multiverse, we’ll all be gone. Including you. You’re not from Wonderland. You’ll be wiped out. Just like everyone else.”

Bruno glances at the map. Then, he looks up at Klemens. “I will tell you. But only if your _promise _me that I will get a chance to talk to her about this. To ask her to stop.”

“I promise.”

Bruno nods slowly, satisfied with the answer. He shifts his attention to the map again and points at some place in the East. “We meet on Galma. The island. She told me she had to meet someone important and asked me to accompany and help her.” He waves at the couch. “Please. Make yourselves at home. We’ll wait three more hours before we start our trip to Galma.”

Klemens nodded. He didn’t want to make it even worse for the man, so he just took the briefcase from Arturo to take out this device that resembled a tablet. It came from another Universe so it didn’t quite work the same, but Klemens had learned how to use it over time. “Arturo, I will make a report for Clarke. Can you write down all the pros and cons of Galma for me? I’ve never been there.”

Arturo did just that while Klemens noted down what they’d done learned so far. He wondered how long Clarke had been waiting for the report. They’d been here a little over an hour, so maybe she’s only been waiting for a solid minute?

**To: Clarke Griffin**

**From: SEF Agent #021**

_Hi Clarke. I know you don’t like it, but let’s please skip the formalities for now. We found the servant. He wasn’t aware of the Queen’s plan as far as we can tell, but he does know her next location. We will be there. I granted the servant a moment to talk things through with her and ask her to not follow through with her plan. What are our orders?_

He didn’t have to wait long before the reply came in. Perhaps the linearity of the timeline didn’t budge too much today.

**To: SEF AGENT #021**

**From: Clarke Griffin**

_Alright then, Klemens. We can let it slip just this once. Good job on finding the servant so quickly. We’re very proud of you two here at the headquarters (us= me and my PA). How is Mr. Román functioning? Please be careful with the rest of your mission. The hardest part is yet to come. If she admits to not following through, you arrest her and bring her to the HQ. If she doesn’t, you have the green light for Plan A (=assassination). Needless to say but just double checking with you that Mr. Román has different kinds of weapons in his briefcase to help you in whatever situation you might find yourselves in. Please be careful Klemens. _

**To: Clarke Griffin**

**From: SEF Agent #021**

_The orders are clear. I’ll keep you posted. Tell Bellamy I said hi. _

He closed the tablet and put it back in the briefcase carefully. He wished he had a way of communicating with Ronja from here. He missed her already. He could use the sound of her gentle voice, or her arms around his back as she held him. She wasn’t here though. There was no way he could reach out to her. He had to hope for the best possible outcome. That’s all he could do.

During the contact he’d had with Clarke, Bruno had announced that he was going to pack for the trip. So it was just Klemens and Arturo now. “Klemens?”

“Hmm?”

“Galma is… Dangerous territory. As long as you’re in town you’re good. But outside… The last years there have been more and more reports on the dangerous wildlife out there. I think I don’t need to explain to you that Narnian wildlife is more dangerous than what we have on Earth. If the Queen escapes, we’ll be stuck on that island.” Arturo pauses. “But, if we’re lucky, those circumstances might work in our advantage.”

Klemens perked up at that. Anything that would help them in this nearly impossible task was more than welcome. And if they could use the stupid island for that, that’d be a huge blessing. “How? It sounds quite awful.”

“Well, we have to plan it. At least a part of it. There’s two ways to get to the island. One of thems using a portal. But it’s a very rare connection. Only two other portals lead to the island and those two are not in the Narnia universe. If we assume she is already in Narnia, she will _have _to go by boat.”

Klemens raises an eye. “And how exactly is that a good thing?”

“If we occupy her boat, she’s stuck on the island. She won’t be able to escape without us being able to get close to her.”

Klemens smiles. “This is a good idea Arturo. But what about the boat that we’ll need to use to get there? Or the boats of other people?”

“That’s the thing. We occupy the boat without her realizing we’re there until we’re back on the water. There won’t be any other boats then.”

“And her guards?”

“That we’ll have to figure out once we’re actually there. Like I said, we need some luck. But… If we have it, we might be able to pull this off.”

“Okay good! So what-“

There’s a loud thud outside. Klemens looks up startled, Arturo immediately jumps to action and runs towards the window to check what’s happening. “_Hijo de puta_!” Arturo makes his way to the door fast. “Bruno, he’s-“ Arturo stops midsentence as the door won’t budge. Klemens quickly scans the room to see if there’s another way out. “The windows, Arturo. We have to break the windows!”

Arturo wastes no second as he grabs his briefcase from the floor and swings it into the glass. It shatters onto the floor easily. He uses his hands to smack the pieces of glass that are still hanging from the wood to make more space. “Let’s follow that _pendejo_!” He shouts and tries to climb from the windowsill. Klemens quickly follows after him, carefully trying not to get hurt by the sharp edges of the glass. He presses the button of his earpiece. “Clarke! Clarke he’s getting away!”

_“What? Who is?”_

“The servant! He tricked us!”

Arturo is frantically looking around, trying to find tracks. But there’s too many of them. The forest too thick to see more than ten steps in front of you. “_Mierda!_”

_“Fuck Klemens, you can’t let him get away! You need him!”_

“We’re trying!” He shouts into his earpiece. He looks at every single step he sees in the dirt. Tries to focus on every single sound. But it’s no use. Bruno will know these forests better than they ever will.

“He’s gone. Clarke. We lost him_._”


	4. The Struggles Of Not Having A Vehicle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit short, but the next one will be quite long. I promise!

Bruno was gone. They’d tried to track him, but that had proven to be an impossible task. After a heated debate with Clarke, they’d decided to go to the island. Galma. They had no idea if Bruno had spoken the truth, but it was the only lead they had. Not only that, but Galma also happened to have the largest amount of portals here in Narnia. Clarke had promised them she would try to see if there was a lower force agent in another universe that had a portal that would lead to Galma, so they could check the situation there while Klemens and Arturo went that way.

That’s why they were struggling their way through the forest again. There was no clear path, but Arturo insisted this was the fastest way to get to Cair Paravel, the castle near the sea where the boats to Galma would leave the shore. Klemens didn’t like all the environmental problems his universe was facing, but he really missed having a car right now. Or honestly, even a bicycle would do. They had to walk another three hours before they would reach the castle – that is if they wouldn’t take a break.

“So, Klemens-“ Arturo started, breaking their silence. “-why is it that they chose you for this mission? I mean, I definitely think you are qualified to do so. I just wondered. The SEF has many other agents, and well, you don’t have experience in Narnia. So that made me wonder what it is about you that they chose you?”

Klemens was silent for a moment. That was actually a good question. He just hated speaking about the answer. It was something he hadn’t spoken about in years. Something only the other agents of the SEF and his supervisors knew. And Ronja of course.

“I’m a very loyal agent. I… Made the sacrifices that were needed during the rebellions the first year after The Collision.”

“Oh. I see.”

It was clear that Arturo knew rather well what he meant with that. He’d sacrificed fellow agents to accomplish missions that would’ve otherwise failed. In the bigger picture, it’d been the right choice. But Klemens had never forgiven himself. He remembered every single face that no longer existed because of him. He took a deep breath, pushing the thoughts out of his head. This was not the time to remember it. This was not the time to feel guilty. He needed his focus. So he clutched the O-ring of his collar tightly. The faux-leather creating a slight pull on his skin. He tried to visualize Ronja’s face.

_‘It’s okay K_ _æ_ _rasti. You did what you could. You did what you had to do. Because of you, the multiverse still knows peace.’_

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought it up.” Arturo smiles at him hesitantly. Klemens shrugs. “It’s okay. You have the right to know.” The Spanish man nods at him, accepting that answer happily.

“Well, at least you’ll have your boyfriend waiting for you back home.” Arturo smiles, clearly trying to change the subject as he pushes a thick branch out of their faces. Carefully, he lets it go again. Klemens can’t help but laugh.

“I can assure you that my significant other is a female, Arturo.”

Arturo’s eyes widen. “Wait, you’re not-“

“Yes, I’m married to a woman. I know, it’s a shock. You’re not the first one whose gay radar can’t read me right.” Which is actually true. Klemens has come to accept this years ago already, but just like Bruno and many others, people tend to think he’s gay. Yes, he’s a bit feminine probably. He understands. Heck, he even doubted it himself when he’d been a teenager. Surely someone as feminine as him had to be gay? But then he’d met Ronja and he’d known she was the one for him. Maybe he was bisexual. He wasn’t sure, and he couldn’t care less honestly. It was fun to play with other people’s assumptions like this.

“I’m sorry. Your time to bring up a new subject, I’ve messed up enough now.”

Klemens grins again, and just as he wants to start talking about something else, he sees something through the branches. “Arturo?” He nudges the man and points in the direction of the – well – whatever it is. Arturo’s face lights up. “It’s the rock bridge! This means we're going in the right direction. And faster than estimated. This is good news!”

\--

After a long, long walk, Klemens is delighted to see the towers of Cair Paravel. He can smell the salt of the sea in the air – making him feel homesick instantly. He misses the smell. Misses the icy air filling his nostrils. Soon. He hopes. He pushes these thoughts away. This is Narnia. Narnia doesn’t even resemble Iceland in the slightest bit. For one thing, they didn’t have forests this big. Or forests at all, actually.

Neither did they have castles really, so seeing Cair Paravel was quite impressive. The massive stones walls looked sturdy and unbreakable. It’s location made it seem even mightier as it towered over the sea. Arturo smiled at it as well. “I’ve only been inside once-“ he said, “-and it’s even more impressive there.” Then, he sighed. “The boats leave the shore just downhill. Ten minutes, then we’ll be there.”

“So, how will we get a boat? I mean, people will surely not bring us to Galma for free?”

“I do have my connections, Klemens. But if not, Clarke did give us some things we might be able to trade.”

Trade. Yes, of course. He rolled his eyes.

“Seriously, how much time did you spend Narnia? You could as well be gay yourself with how much time you spent in that closet?” Arturo gave him a bewildered look at that. Klemens shook his head and waved it off. “Nothing, it’s a joke from my universe. Nevermind.” He chuckled to himself quietly.

“You’re a weird dude, Klemens.”

“Oh, you haven’t even seen most of me yet. Did you know I dance around on stage in fishnets and a thong?”

Arturo huffs out a breath and shakes his head. “Sure thing.”

“No. I truly do that. I even competed in a European competition like that with my band! I can show you my dance moves later tonight! If we’re lucky, it might also attract Bruno to come and find us again,” Klemens laughs. Arturo just chuckles at that, probably trying not to get a mental image of that in his mind.

It doesn’t take too long after that before they reach the white sandy beach. Arturo kneels into the sand to open his briefcase. Klemens is curious now. Even though he leads this mission he hasn’t seen what’s in there yet. He looks over Arturo’s shoulder and frowns. It’s… Not stuff he’s seen before. They must be items from other universes then.

“Are these worth a lot?” Arturo nods as an answer. “Yes. Well. Here in Narnia, they do. If you’d bring it to your Universe people would probably not even like it as a gift. You see this thing here? It’s a necklace that belonged to Queen Susan. People will take us to Galma and back for this easily.” Klemens nods at the explanation, intrigued by it all.

“Well, I’ll follow your lead in this then.”

“Good. Let’s get to the Queen!”


	5. Treasure Island

Galma was nothing like Klemens had expected. He expected the island to be calm and peaceful. Like a small village. But it wasn’t. It was overly crowded. Little stands popped up everywhere and the people were trying to get his attention to get him to buy local products. It was tempting to go and take a look. He couldn’t though. They were on a mission. He had no clue how they were ever going to find Bruno in this crowd, let alone the Queen. Clarke had reported back to them that Bruno had indeed been spotted on the island, so at least they were on the right path.

Klemens had the feeling that maybe, just maybe, they wouldn’t even have to look for them. That they might present themselves soon.

“So, Arturo. Where are the portals located exactly?”

“We’re close. They’re not all in the same location. Galma, small as it is, contains 73 portals. 56 of them are right here in the centre of the village on the main square.”

“And where is this main square?”

Arturo grinned as they neared the end of the street. “Right around that corner.”

Klemens frowned and fastened his pace, ignoring the stares of the villagers around them. How could 56 portals possibly be located on just one squ- Oh. His eyes widened at the sight in front of him. Before him, there was a huge garden-like square with portals lined up in four orderly lanes. He looked at the crazy amount of signs, leading people in the right direction. It was enormous. He couldn’t even distinguish the people from their own universe, as their different appearances all seemed to melt together.

His eyes fell on a little crowd in the middle of the square. There was a man on a little stool, telling something to the people that had gathered around him. Klemens squinted his eyes. “Arturo. Is that Bruno?” The agent nodded. “It sure does look like him. If we go near him he’ll recognize us.”

“I want to hear what he’s saying. Do you think he’ll run?”

Arturo shook his head. “I don’t think so. It’d be too obvious.”

“Alright. I’ll go to the crowd, see if I can hear what it is he’s spreading. Can you sneak up on him from behind? Stay out of sight, but if something happens, you can surprise him.”

“Sounds like a good plan, Ice-boy.”

Klemens rolled his eyes at his teammate and nudged his shoulder. “Alright. Let’s do this. I’ll come and find you if everything stays civilized.”

He adjusted his clothes and took a deep breath before he slowly made his way towards the little gathering. He looked at the portals he was passing. _Middle Earth, Oz, Mako Island, Mystic Falls, The Enchanted Forest…_ Klemens was impressed- and that scared him. It wasn’t only leading to small universes. These were big and important ones. If these portals would be destroyed there would be no stopping the Queen anymore.

“…-special guest tonight after sunset! Come and see! This show is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Don’t miss out on it!” Bruno cackled his weird laugh, his arms spread as an invitation for everyone to come to the show he was talking about. Klemens quickly pressed his earpiece.

“Clarke?” he whispered quietly.

“Klemens. Thank God. We haven’t heard from you in two minutes- which could be a long time in Narnia. Are you okay?”

“Yes. We have arrived in Galma and found the portals. And Bruno. He’s announcing a show this evening. Saying it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It seems like something is happening and he wants people to be _there_ to witness it. What are your orders?”

“Keep a low-profile for now. How much time do you have before the event?”

“Two hours, maybe three.”

“Alright. You shadow Bruno and report back to me. Send Arturo to find more information about the Queen’s location. Don’t let them escape again, we don’t have time to catch up if they do.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” He pressed the button on his earpiece again to connect to Arturo. “Arturo, I spoke to Clarke. I shadow Bruno for now, you go and try to find the location of the Queen in the meantime. Report to me in an hour.”

“Good luck, Klemens.”

“You too.”

As he lowered his hand away from his ear, he saw Bruno had noticed his presence. The smile on the man’s face seemed to falter, but he didn’t stop his little speech. Arturo had been right. If the man would run away now, it would ruin whatever he’d been building up right here. The people would notice something was off. Bruno needed them to come to the event, so he forced the smile back on his face as he continued.

“Tonight at sunset, there’ll be a wonderful show that’ll blow your mind! A magical spectacle like nothing you’ve ever seen before! And of course, we have a special guest-“ Klemens listened to Bruno repeating the words over and over, trying to remember every single word the man said. Maybe there’d be a clue. Maybe there was something in it that would help them figure it all out. After ten minutes of listening to the same message over and over again, he was getting restless. He was usually very contained during missions, but this thing… There was too much at stake.

“Arturo? Have you found anything yet?” He muttered into the earpiece. It was silent for a bit before the creaking sound started. “Maybe. I’m not sure. I’ve been going past all the guesthouses, and one of them said they got a last-minute request last night that they couldn’t fulfil, they redirected the people to another place a 1-minute walk from here. The owner of the guesthouse told me it’d been a strange lady, with a strange accent. Definitely not a Narnian. I’m off to the other guesthouse right now. I’ll keep you posted.”

“Good. Stay safe.”

Klemens had been so focused on Arturo’s words that he almost missed Bruno stepping off the stool and waving the crowd of people goodbye. Klemens gritted his teeth. Fuck the low-profile. He strode towards the tall man in the middle of the road.

“Bruno. How nice to see you again.”

“Klemens! I’m flattered that you found me here.” The Austrian man pointed at the collar around Klemens's neck. “Isn’t your partner getting worried about you? Perhaps you should just head home and spend your last day with them?”

“Why are you so… Why do you help her?”

Bruno rolled his eyes at him. “I already told you, she’s the only one that has ever been nice to me. She took me in, gave me a home. She’s my friend. I can’t lose her.”

“But is it truly worth the destruction of the entire freaking Multiverse? You can’t be serious about that. It’s… It’s genocide. Multiplied by infinity? Do you really want to participate in that?”

“Well, do you have a better option for me? Cause right now it’s either living my life with my best friend or handing her over to be murdered. Would you hand over your best friend to save people?”

Klemens clenched his fists, his cheeks clamped together. “I have, in fact, done that. It was necessary. The Multiverse was saved.”

“How do you even live with yourself like that?”

“I don’t, okay? I fucking don’t live with it. It drags me down every day. I’m on impressive amounts of medication just to stay sane. And if I let the Multiverse crumble this time, his death would’ve been for _nothing._”

Bruno’s shoulders slumped down. “I really want to help you, Klemens. I’d hate for the Multiverse to be destroyed. But… I simply can’t help you. I can’t give her up. You’ll have to fight me, find her yourself. I won’t help. I won’t stop you from your quest, that’s the best I can do for you. I’m sorry.”

“Bruno, I-“

His earpiece creaked. “Klemens! Klemens, I think I have found her!”

“What? How?”

“The guesthouse. There are two of her soldiers outside, protecting the entrance.”

“Alright. Send me the location and I’ll be with you as soon as I can.”

Bruno stared at him, alarmed by the sudden new information. “He found her?”

“Yes. He did.”

They stared at each other for a few seconds. Klemens could see the tears form in his eyes. Klemens felt a tug on his heart. He’s been there. He knows how it feels. “Please,” the tall man pleads, “-if you do kill her, make it quick and painless. Promise me.”

“I promise.”


End file.
